The World Jewish Congress New York Office records. Series H (Alphabetical Files)

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is an international organization founded by resolution of the First World jewish Congress, which took place in August 1936 in Geneva. The organization goal is to defend the political, social, and economic rights of Jews throughout the world. Its governing bodies were elected at the First World Jewish Congress: the executive committee headed by Stephen Wise (also the organization’s chairman), an administrative committee, headed by Nahum Goldman, and a central council headed by Louis Lipsky. At the first session of the executive committee, Sept. 6, 1936, it was decided to establish regional offices of the WJC in Geneva, New York, and London, and a central bureau in Paris. The central bureau coordinated the WJC’s work, collected information on the situation of Jews in various countries, published materials, and also lobbied at the League of Nations. In 1940, with the Second World War under way, the central bureau was transferred to New York, and a European office was established in London. Contains records of the World Jewish Congress, New York Office, Series H (Alphabetical Files). Records of Series H are sub-divided into four sub-series. Sub-series 1. Alphabetical Files, A-Z, 1919-1981, comprises the bulk of the series, consisting of 370 boxes. Although the materials in this sub-series span the years 1919-1981, the bulk is concentrated in the 1940s to the 1960s. Sub-series 2. Monty Jacobs International Files, 1949-1973, consists of approximately two boxes and contains alphabetically arranged international files of Monty Jacobs, Press Director and Executive Director in the 1950s and 1960s. The bulk of the material in this sub-series is concentrated in the 1960s. Sub-series 3. Publications, 1930-1974, consists of two boxes of publications (Jewish and non-Jewish, WJC and non-WJC), from various countries and organizations. There are also one or two subject files. Additional publications are scattered throughout the other sub-series, but these publications were maintained as a separate sub-series to preserve their provenance, as they were kept in that manner by WJC staff. Sub-series 4. International Alphabetical Files - Correspondence and Clippings, 1949-1981, consists of 18 boxes of alphabetically arranged files on countries and regions. These materials were received by the American Jewish Archives from the WJC in 1987, several years after receipt of the main collection. Though spanning 1949-1981, the bulk of the material is dated after 1952. Copyright Holder: American Jewish Archives